Faboo Fallow Ensemble

“The life of a creator is not the only life nor perhaps the most interesting which a man leads. There is a time for play and a time for work, a time for creation and a time for lying fallow. And there is a time, glorious too in its own way, when one scarcely exists, when one is a complete void. I mean / when boredom seems the very stuff of life.” ~ Henry Miller

I know it’s still Summer, but the lust for Autumnesque Café au Lait themed outfits has been shivering through me. Yes, I go weak for a yummy splash of color and I’m addicted to frills and prettily pink staples, but there is something about neutrals and Earth tones that woo me hard.

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ISON has been getting a lot of attention lately, and it’s well deserved. Prior to my recent spree at the store, all I had from them was a lovely red cowl neck dress from last Christmas. Their Wrap Skirt is a complete treat. Okay, so, I have a personal weakness for wrap skirts and sarongs, but the shading here is sublime, offering the convincing, delicate illusion of draping and layered-over silk. If there is a caveat, I would say it lies in the waist which is a little thin and can reveal too much of the alpha from certain angles. The Draped Crop Tee is another ISON winner. It’s similar to the Cold Logic Hache Top with a feminine flowing midriff-showoff shape and subtle shading, only the ISON has airy short sleeves and a plain scoop neckline. The tee shirt fabric texturing is well done; there is no too-shiny highlighting or overblow shadows, and the piping around the neckline is a nice, casual detail.

To compliment the ISON pieces, I snagged a few nummy accessories, starting with the Leverocci Leather Field Hat. It has a nice floppy shape with a warm suede texture on the brim and crown, and a lustrous silky Charmeuse band. The border of the brim has great detailing which is the hallmark of a quality item. Too many mesh items ignore the edges where fabric would naturally gather, hem, or seam. This item doesn’t cut those corners and it’s nice to see that level of care. I admit I had a lot of trouble finding a hairstyle that would work with this hat, though, but I finally happened on Bailey from Exile.

The Side-Gartered Brown Butterfly stockings are from the ever-fabulous League. They’re painfully cute and are a teasing lead-in to the Schadenfreude Carnaby Boots (Vintage Fair items). I know, I know, just what you need — another pair of mesh boots, but these are honestly extraordinary. Again here, textures are well done without that too-greasy shine you see in a lot of leather boots. The contours of the shape work with the stellar details, like the seams along the throat and instep vamp.

The belly chain is an element I’m still on the fence about. The belt comes included with the Summer Days Skirt Set from Paradisis at the Pink Ribbon Fair (good luck finding it – it couldn’t be better hidden). It’s a really charming accessory that is mod so I did a re-tint (it comes pink) and re-fit, but it’s intended as a belt that wears lower on the hips. I was looking for something to flirt above my navel, but I may keep looking and use this when I need a more traditional beaded belt.

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For cosmetics, I have been playing around with the Gula’s Cosmetics Collection from Mirror’s Enigma. The set comes with eye shadows and lip glosses for fair and dark tan skins and the lip gloss selections have parted lip/teeth options. I don’t know how well they work with other skins, but they’re cherry with the League Fair skin tones.

Finally, for the knock-out accessory, the Cathartik necklace from Amorous. If you’re not familiar with Matchbook Monday’s Amorous jewelry, you are missing out on some of the best pieces the grid has to offer. These are top-quality designs with intricate, realistic beads, gems, settings, and metals. This Cathartik set comes with color change gems and although the earrings are hidden in my hair, the necklace is a bold fashion piece that really sets off against warm fabrics. It’s a much-love must-have.

One Comment

I like the outfit, though I’m no big fan of light browns (it’s a RL thing) I like ISON stuff, though I wish the dresses also came in a version with a longer hemline. By longer meaning “still above the knee, but not so short as they are… about a 20 inch hemline equivalent in RL you know about the length of the Mon Tissu Oxford skirt”

I really like the necklace, the metalwork reminds me of the one I thought of as “Tar-Miriel”

And I’m still not used to your “true redheadedness”, though as I say there’s no such thing as too many redheads.